We are TOWA: Jeannine - Spryker Developer

Hey Jeannine, why don't you start by telling us who you are, what you do at TOWA and how you found out about TOWA.

My path to TOWA started about 3 years ago, thanks to a friend who gave me the tip to check out the developer jobs at TOWA. I remember exactly how I checked the website. There wasn't an open position at the time, but I realized how well my tech stack matched TOWA's. So I decided to apply. So I decided to just write an email.

From there, everything went pretty fast: the first video call, the search for the well-hidden office in Vienna, a trial day with a code challenge, and finally the acceptance. Since then, I've been working as a developer at TOWA and have had the opportunity to constantly expand my tech stack. I started in the web application team and am currently focusing on e-commerce projects.

When did you start programming and how did you get into it?

My passion for development started with one or two small detours. I was first introduced to programming in school and enjoyed it even then. However, I was initially drawn to design, which included everything from video to print to UX/UI. I found UX/UI in particular very exciting and varied.

As more and more custom solutions for the web came out of this, the idea of understanding exactly how the implementation worked came up. In the end, it all came naturally: My degree in web development felt like a good fit right away, as it overlapped perfectly with my interests. I am still very happy that I made that decision.

What framework inspired you first?

During my studies I was already juggling a bit with frontend and backend. Vue really won my heart, especially for cool projects where I could really get to grips with the frontend. In the backend, Laravel surprised me in a very positive way, because it's just fun to work with this framework. I've been working in one of our Spryker teams for about 11 months now. Of course, such a flexible and scalable system is a completely different ball game. But since I had already worked with different systems before, it was a very pleasant start for me.

What is a typical working day at TOWA like?

Probably atypical for a developer, not with coffee, but with black tea. And then it really starts with my ticket, whether it's a feature or a bugfix. We have a daily meeting at 10 a.m. where the team discusses the current status of the various tickets. Our process is very structured: Every two weeks we have a sprint planning meeting where the team selects the tickets for the sprint, including their priorities. During the sprint, we work on the selected tasks. Regular refinement meetings are used to discuss and refine new issues.

Code reviews and testing ensure that the quality of the code is maintained. Documentation is also an important part of the work. At the end of a sprint, there is a sprint review to present the completed work and a sprint retrospective to share the experiences of the last two weeks.

Do you work more from home or in the office?

TOWA gives us great flexibility to choose between working from home or in the office. Although my team is spread across three different countries, we really appreciate our 'Office Monday' as a great start to the week. It brings the team together and allows us to coordinate quickly and directly. We support each other and can spend the lunch break together. For the rest of the week, I usually work from home, which allows me to focus on my daily tasks.

What projects are you currently working on and what technologies are you using in your role at TOWA?

At the moment I'm mainly immersed in an e-commerce project that specializes in selling furniture and kitchen equipment in an online store. Under the hood of the project is an exciting and versatile tech stack for us developers. Although we don't have a strict division between front-end and back-end development, we tend to have preferences. My first love will probably always be the frontend, and it's fitting that I get to dive into it on this project!

In my position at TOWA I work with various technologies and tools, including the e-commerce platform Spryker, PHP, JavaScript, TypeScript, SCSS, as well as the search and discovery platform Algolia and the CMS Storyblok. The interaction of these technologies allows us to develop innovative and user-friendly e-commerce solutions.

Which highlight at TOWA stands out in your mind?

As a developer, every go-live is always a special highlight. Before the go-live, there was always a small team event in the office in the evening, where we could toast with pizza, beer, wine or whatever everyone wanted and work off some steam with a round of Mario Kart or Worms Armageddon! I also held a dev workout on Storyblok once and got some really positive feedback afterwards, so I have to mention that as a highlight as well!

How is working at TOWA different from your previous employers?

I think I've always been lucky enough to take a lot of positive things with me from each previous employer. At TOWA I really enjoy working together, we just get along well and contribute to the success of a project as a team. We support each other and even in challenging moments we always find a reason to toast our successes.

What do you like most about your job?

It's really hard to pick just one thing. But definitely the teamwork, the variety and the challenge. We work together to develop innovative solutions and strive for the success of a project as a team. There's a lot of variety anyway, especially in agency life with a large number of projects.

As a developer, you will experience the entire development cycle, from project planning, requirements specification and technology selection to the final deployment of the project. This makes the work varied and exciting. And the challenges are the icing on the cake. Working on complex projects and solving technical problems under time pressure definitely ensures that you never get bored.

Are there any special challenges for developers?

Absolutely. There are a variety of tech stacks depending on the different requirements of different customers. You need to be flexible to learn new technologies quickly. Moving between projects and tech stacks is also a given. Last but not least, technologies change all the time. It's all very fast-paced. That's why you have to keep up with the latest developments.

Do you feel that working at TOWA has helped you grow and develop?

Definitely! A lot has happened to me professionally in the last few years. It's nice to look back and see how much you've grown. TOWA has also put a lot of trust in me. From day one, I have always been given the opportunity to contribute my ideas and feedback. This not only promotes professional development, but also contributes to a positive working environment that is always evident in our meetings. We appreciate each other and have a good time. I feel very valued, and of course that motivates me even more.

Now a question for anyone who is thinking about joining TOWA. What advice would you give them?

As our colleague Lukas already said: At TOWA you get responsibility, but also a lot of freedom. And that really sums it up. After the first few rounds in the cold water, you have a really cool time at TOWA. Thanks to Danyo for giving me the tip back then. I would pass it on anytime today. So, just try it! And more female power in development would be great anyway!